Port of Cardiff

Apollo LED Port Lighting on Abacus Base-hinged Mast

Cardiff, UK: January 2015

The Port of Cardiff is just one of the 21 ports that make up the Associated British Ports (ABP) family. As the UK’s leading port operator, ABP are constantly looking at ways to improve port operations to continue to support its customers and contribute to the economy. The Port of Cardiff handles around 2.1 million tonnes of cargo every year, this twenty-four hour operation means the lighting system is in constant use, leading to ABP’s decision to modernise and heavily invest in the port's infrastructure.

Originally one area of the port was lit by floodlights on a lattice tower, a system which can be difficult to maintain without a lengthy downtime and the risk to personnel of working at heights. To replace this with a more suitable system, Abacus installed a 30m base-hinged mast in its place. The base-hinged mast allows for a quicker and safer installation and maintenance, with lighting being fitted at ground level to be raised up without the need for heavy machinery. This choice of mast in this particular port setting was advantageous as the area had sufficient space to lower the mast for maintenance without the need for heavy machinery, just one person and very little downtime. An additional advantage of using the base-hinged mast is the reduction in the time required to carry out lengthy structural inspections on the mast compared to a lattice tower.

To light the area, 12 powerful 300w Apollo LED lanterns were fitted to the mast in a 360° arrangement combined with a lighting control system. Due to the ports operational hours, three of these Apollo fittings are lit continuously for security purposes, the other nine Apollo fittings are operated via an override switch which is used only when the area is in operation. These nine Apollo’s are then turned off by a photocell when they are no longer required for use, as opposed to the previous lighting system where the lighting was left on continuously. The reduction in energy usage and running costs will decrease with the changeover to LED and controllable lighting, as will maintenance costs due to the ease of maintenance for both the Apollo and the base-hinged mast offer.

ABP were very happy with the work undertaken by Abacus, being particularly pleased with the high performance white light these 300w LED fittings produce, which has dramatically improved the lighting in this area.